Security Officer: Officer Stabbing Indicates Increased Tension

Avigdor Schatz, the security officer of the Binyamin Regional Council, called Monday's attack on a police officer “a very serious incident"

By David Lev

First Publish: 12/23/2013, 7:14 PM

Site of Monday's attack

Israel Police

Avigdor Schatz, the security officer of the Binyamin Regional Council, called Monday's attack on a police officer at the Adam Junction on Road 60 “a very serious incident. This is an indication of the increased number of terror attacks in the region.”

An Israeli police officer was moderately injured in a stabbing attack Monday afternoon. The officer was stabbed by an Arab terrorist at the Adam checkpoint north of Jerusalem; he was treated at the scene and then taken for further treatment at a Jerusalem hospital.

The officer was directing traffic at the notoriously jammed traffic circle. The terrorist appeared out of a gaggle of cars and jumped at the officer, stabbing him, and then took off for a neighboring Arab village. Security officers began a search for him, and closed the road down while the search was going on.

Schatz said that security officials in Binyamin were “carefully studying” the incident. “This is a very serious incident. I hope that this terrorist is caught soon. There has been an increase in terror by Arabs in this region,” Schatz said. “We are experiencing more rock throwing and firebomb incidents. There had been a break, but it appears we are returning to the previous situation where attacks were common.”

Monday's attack takes place on the background of Sunday's terror attack in Bat Yam, where a bomb exploded on a bus. No passengers were reported injured, but one police officer with the bomb squad was injured as he attempted to disarm the device. A spokesperson for the Dan Bus Company said th that there twelve passengers on the bus when a passenger alerted the driver that there was a suspicious object on board. The object was in a bag, which one of the passengers opened. Noticing there were wires coming out of the bag, the passenger alerted the driver, who immediately evacuated the passengers.

Passengers on the bus attributed the fact that no one was killed to a miracle. Police said that based on their initial investigation, the on the number 240 bus from Bnai Brak to Bat Yam was conducted by Arab terrorists.

Footage of police arriving at the scene, courtesy of the Israeli police, is below.